Island



3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

Patented July l, 1890.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Y y F. B. BROWN.

SUSPENDED ELECTRIC RAILWAY AND GABH l Patented July 1,1890.

mlm.

m: noms anni co., wam-umm, msuwcfou. n, 1:4

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.'

Pf3. BROWN. SUSPENDED ELETRIG RAILWAY 'AND GAR. No. 431,256. Patented July l, 1890.

l l I I l l l l UNITED STATES PATENT (")EEICEa FREDERICK EUGENE DROVN, OF PAWTUGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

SUSPENDED ELECTRIC RAILWAY `AND CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,256, dated July 1, 1890.

.Application filed April 6, 1889. Serial No. 306,217x (No model.)

T0 all whom, 'llt may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK EUGENE DROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Suspended Electric Railway and Car, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a car suspended from trucks which have wheels and axles, the trucks running in a tube havingin its bottom side a longitudinal opening or slot extending from end to end, tl'irongh which the hangers extend that connect the car with thetruck, and driven by an electric motor, the electric motor driven by electro-motive force generated at stations placed at convenient distances along the line of the suspended railway. The electric motor takes the electric current from a stationary fixed electric conductor extending` parallel with the slotted tube, and insulated from same. The slotted tube is suspended by a system of cables, ties, and hangers, substantially7 fixed to suitable supporting structures.

The object of my invention is to provide machinery for the quick transportation from place to place of passengers, mail, and freight, whereby it will not be necessary to follow so closely the level contour of the country, thus avoiding deep cuts andiillings and expensive bridges; to provide safe and durable machinery which will not be seriously affected by any average climate or conditions of weather. I attain these objects by the machinery illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts.

Figure 1, a perspective view embracing one section of the machinery from C to C; Fig. 2, the permanent station; Fig. 3, enlarged elevation of support E and expansion device G; Fig. 4:, vertical section of expansion device G on line A', Fig. S; Fig. 5, plan of rails I), illustrating the dovetail-joint at expansion device G 5 Fig. 6, transverse vertical section of suspended electric railway and car, illustrating a modification of same, in which a double suspended railway and car are attached to a supporting structure E; Fig. 7, a plan of slotted tubes D, illustrating the horizontal struts and ties S2, fixed to slotted tubes D 5 Fig.

8, enlarged View of permanentstation; Figui) longitudinalverticalsection of the suspended electric railway and car on line Q, Eig. l0; Fig. l0, transverse vertical section of the suspended electric railway and ear on line Q, Eig. 9.

I describe my invention follows, reference being had to the aforesaid drawings.

The dynamo A generates the electro-motive force, which is transmitted by electric conductor k to the' main electric conductor K, extending parallel, with and insulated from the slotted tube D from C to C', representing a distance of ten miles, more or less.

In operating, the suspended car B is passed along the suspended railway from one section C to C to the next adjoining section by electric conducting-wheel J, being in contact with electric conductor K, thus diverting the electric current through the electric motor I fixed to car B. After performing work in electric motor I the electric current'passes out through electric conductors K41 and K5 to the truck H, thence by slotted tube D and electric conductor Kl? to electric generator A. I prefer to make the tube D of iron 0r steel, eitherin pieces or in sections, strengthened at .P by longitudinal pieces for the wheels N of truck I-I to run on,.and when necessary or when desirable further strengthened by transverse bands R, to which the ties S and S can be attached.

When the suspended-electric-railway system is arranged for the purpose of conveying a small car containing light materials, or when the supports E are in close supporting distance, as at E2 and E2, Fig. l, the bands R, and in some cases the rails P, can be dispensed with; then the hangers G are sufficient.

When the supports E are more than asupporting distance apart, as at E, Eig. l, I use a detlectingicable F, supporting slotted tube D, with ties 'S andstorm-cables E', connected to the slotted tube D with ties S'. At G the slotted tube is secured and arranged for thc longitudinal expansion illustrated in Fig. 3. The broad band G2 is fixed to the slotted tube D2 and firmly fixed to hanger lr', which is supported at E. The slotted tube D is arranged to slide in band G2. The space at I@ between the slotted tube D and D2 shows the IOO amount of space. Vhen slotted tubes D and D2 are at limit of contraction the .sliding bolt G3 holds the slotted tube D in position. The slotted tube D is further supported and arranged to move freely by transverse bands G4 fixed to truck G5, having Wheels G6, which run on supports E. In the space G7, between slotted tubes D and D2, the rails P, Fig. 5, are dovetailed together.

I carry out my invention by placing the truck H, which has a frame L, bearings M, and wheels N, and a hanger O, to which the car B is attached, in the interior of slotted tube D, with its Wheels N, having a conical face and flange, running on the edge of the slot d in tube D, or on rails l), which are fixed to tube D.

In the system of suspended electric railway and ear illustrated in Fig. 0, I prefer to place the electric motor I in car B and connect it by driving-bands N2 with the driven pulley N', which is attached to wheels N. of the truck H.

Having thus' described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a suspended-elcomic-railway system, the railway-track consisting of atube D, sus pended from deflected cable F by ties S, the ysaid tube D having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot d, extending from end to end, as set forth.

2. The tube D, suspended from deflected cable F by ties S, the said tube D having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot d, exlending from end to end, and the longinal rails l), fixed to the tube D, as set forth.

5. The tube D, having in its bottoni side a longitudinal opening, slot (Z, extending' from end to end, and the transverse bands R, fixed to tube D, as set forth.

et. 'lhe tube D, having in its bottom side a longituiiual opening, slot d, extending from end to end, and the expansion device G, fixed to tube D, and support E, as set forth.

5. The tube D, having in its betteln side a longitudinal opening, slot d, extending from end to end, and the band G', fixed to support E and E2, and to the tube D, as set forth.

6. The tube D, having' in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot (l, extending from end to end, and the supports E, supporting delecting cable F,the 1efieeting cable F, having ties S, fixed to said cable F, and the tube D, as set forth.

7. The tube D, having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot d, extending from end to end, and the storm-cable F, having ties S', fixed to said cable F, and the tube D, as set forth.

8. The tube D, suspended from deflected c. ble F by ties S, the said tube D having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot d, extending from end to end, and the truck H in the interior of tube D, having a frame L, bearings M, and Wheels N, as set forth.

9. The tube D, having in its bottoni side a longitudinal opening, slot d, extending from end to end, the truck H, running in the interior ot' tube D, having wheels N, bearings M,

and frame L, and the suspended car B, having a hanger O, extending through the slot CZ in tube D, fixed to said car B, and the truck H, as set forth.

10. The tube D, having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot CZ, extending from end to end, the elect-ric conductor K, fixed to the said tube D and insulated from same, the electric generator A, connected to electric conductor K, as set forth.

ll. The suspended tube D, having a slot d in its bottom side extending from end to end, the truck H, running in the interior of said tube, having' Wheels N, arranged in pairs fixed to axles, having bearings M, and a frame L, with ahanger O,extendingdownward through the slot d and attached to ear B, set forth. l2. The tube D, having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot d, extending from end to end, the truck H in the interior of tube D, the car B, suspended from truck H by hangers O, the electric motor in ear B, and the electric ceinlucting-wheel J, connecting motor I with electric conductor K, as set forth. 13. The tube D, having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slotd, extending from end to end, the truck Il in the interior of tube D, the car B, suspended from truck H by hangers O, the electric motor I, and the driving-connection between the said motor I and the wheels N of truck H, as set forth.

14. In a suspended-railway system, the suspended tube l), having in its bottom side a longitudinal opening, slot (l, extending from end to end, and the ties 52,'fixed to the tube D, as set forth.

l5. The suspended tube D, having a slot d in its bottom side extending from end to end, the truck II, running in the interior of said tube D, having wheels N arranged in pairs fixed to axles having' bearings M, and a frame L, with a hanger O, extending' downward through the slot d and attached to car B,the the said wheels N having a conical face with a flange en the inner edge, as set forth.

FREDERICK EUGENE DROWN.

NVitnesses:

JOHN BRIENE, SAMUEL B. LORD.

IOO 

